Edible Centerpiece For Your Patio Table

I’m beginning the week with one of my favorite summer family traditions, an edible centerpiece planter for the patio table. It’s easy and inexpensive, and lasts through all of your summer barbecues and picnics, from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Our first edible centerpiece planter was created as a fun way to teach our children about edible plants. They could be sure that anything in that special planter was safe to try. It was far more successful that we imagined, and the kids loved experimenting and choosing favorite flavors. They especially loved having friends over to try the tasty flowers. They begin to experiment with which flavors would compliment the food they were eating. The big garden was a lot of worthwhile work, and they loved helping in it, but this tiny little edibles garden was just plain fun.

While herbs are an obvious choice for the planter, and I always include them, it’s fun to branch out a bit and mix in some unexpected edibles. If you’re wondering if some of your favorite flowers can be used in this centerpiece, look to your state extension office for more information. I found this list from Colorado State Extension especially helpful! There are so many pretty flowers to choose from, you’re sure to find one that looks perfect on your outdoor table. We do something different every year, and here are a few of our favorites:

Chives – Chives have a mild, onion-y flavor and that familiar flavor makes them a favorite for kids to try. Our kids loved chopping them up and adding them to just about anything. From a design standpoint, they add a nice, grassy texture to the planter.

Mint – Mint is another familiar flavor that kids tend to enjoy. Spearmint is milder than peppermint. In addition to being a fantastic addition to many recipes, it makes a lovely garnish and peppermint can be chewed or brewed to help with upset stomachs.

Marigolds – Marigolds are another bright flower, and their leaves have a milder, pepper-ish taste. Of all of the flower petals, this was probably my children’s favorite. The petals are really pretty sprinkled over a salad.

Parsley – Italian parsley is a milder variety and I love the texture that the leaves bring to an arrangement. It’s been used as a cure for bad breath for ages, so if you’ve just finished a nice garlicky potato salad and onion-y burger you can break off a piece of the centerpiece and chew on it until you can break away to brush your teeth.

Violas and Pansies – These flowers are a little bit sweet, and have a strong flavor. They aren’t the kids’ favorite flavor, but they do add a bright spot of color to the table and are so pretty that they’re often used decoratively in cooking. They can be sugared and used to top cupcakes, or frozen into ice cubes for a pretty beverage.

Other favorites for the edible centerpiece are thyme, oregano (which trails prettily), basil (insalata caprese, anyone?) and sage. In addition to our centerpiece, we now also have a window box and a few other planters scattered around the deck for rosemary, lavender and other edibles that grow too big for a centerpiece.

Be sure to leave a comment below sharing what you’ll be planting in your edible centerpiece!

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What a great idea, Barbara Ann! When my girls were little, I alway planted cherry tomatoes in pots because they were easy to tend and my daughters loved picking their own tomatoes as a snack right off the bush. They would have loved your edible centerpieces!

Oh, cherry tomatoes are our favorites too! We especially love the orange Sun Sugar variety. Last year the ducks got into the garden and decided that they liked them too, so I think this year we’ll have to plant a few extras so that we’ll get some for ourselves!